I thnk my passion for movies like this is why this gag appeals to me. Some might say this cartoon is stupid or simple, but then I'd just say, "YOU'RE stupid and simple!" and that would be that. I just like the idea of a mouse wanting a helicopter. Sometimes humor can be just that simple for me.

For instance, I still laugh at the children's joke I heard from a British girl of about six: "What's the last thing to go through the fly's head when he hits the windscreen? . . . His bum!" For readers without a British/American dictionary handy, this is a "windscreen" and this is a "bum". ("What," "thing," "through," "fly," "mind," and "hits," all mean the same things there as here.)

As much as I like crime movies, however, there are virtually no current crime TV shows that I can watch. All of the CSI series leave me cold and the Law and Order shows are too predictable and formulaic. "Damages" is an amazing suspense show starring Glenn Close. Rent the first season and tell me it isn't superbly written and brilliantly executed. (Rhetorical statement– if you did that I would only call you simple and stupid. See above.) "Dexter" is another terrific show, but watch it from the beginning on DVD, not in reruns on CBS or whoever picked it up. They doubtless dumbed down the language and stuff.

One last entertainment tip: pro wrestlers are not necessarily good actors.

16 comments:

oh, yeah, goodfellas is awesome. people die, cars blow up, guns, corn fields, skanky hos, old joes...what more could one ask for? i use to catch it on TNT from time to time channel surfing, that was in the old days when i use to watch the boob tube.

If you can get your hands on it, check out "Waking the Dead" from BBC. It's a great series, that has filmed 7 series so far, with #8 on the way. BBC America has shown a few series so far, and they should be available on DVD too.

Of course, all 7 are available online if you know where to look too...

Also, the great Sweeney series from the 70s with Sir John Thaw is being released on DVD now too. Really good stuff!

I can't believe you think "Before the Devil Knows Your Dead" is a good movie. I think byfar it is Hoffman's worst film ever. I hear he did another one, but I haven't seen it. Either way, tsk tsk tsk on you.

Peaches: I can't believe you didn't like that movie. I loved it. Philip Seymor Hoffman is a terrific actor, he's done many great movies. Magnolia, Boogie Nights, Charlie Wilson's War, and one of my favorite movies of all time, The Big Lebowski.

"Law and Order" formulaic? What about that episode where the couple is minding their own business and they stumble upon the dead body, and the cops investigate it and make an arrest but it's the wrong guy, so they arrest the right guy but there's an ironic twist at the end?

I've just gotten into "Dexter" and absolutely love it. It's got everything a girl could want: suspense, intrigue, secrecy, vengeance, justice, and a super-triple helping of gore. I could never kill an animal, but the thought of killing people [who really, really deserve it] doesn't bother me in the least.

i think perhaps you're confusing a part in casino with goodfellas. both movies do feature cars blowing up, guns, skanky hos and old joes but the corn field in question, where joe pesci's character is buried alive, is a scene from casino. both excellent films! goodfellas is the stronger of the two, but casino is underrated.

as far as crime/"thrillers" go, i'd rather watch some classic film noir or hitchcock any day than anything modern (although there have been some pretty good "recent" noirs). movies like double indemnity, out of the past, the big sleep and anything by hitch can't be beat.

I generally agree about L&O, but you might want to check out some L&O: Criminal Intent from the last couple of seasons, basically since it moved to USA. They have been frequently (though definitely not always) less formulaic than the other L&O shows.